Common name: Great Grey Shrike
Scientific name: Lanius excubitor
Family: Laniidae

Size:
Body length: 22–26 cm
Wingspan: 30–36 cm
Weight: 60–80 g

Identification:
A striking, medium-sized shrike with a pale grey body, black wings with white patches, and a long black tail edged with white. The face features a bold black mask extending through the eyes. It has a strong, hooked bill typical of shrikes. In flight, it shows clear contrast between grey, black, and white.

Habitat:
Open landscapes including deserts, steppe, farmland, and semi-arid areas with scattered shrubs or trees.

Status in the UAE:
Winter visitor and passage migrant. Regularly recorded in open habitats.

Diet:
Carnivorous — feeds on insects, small birds, reptiles, and rodents.

Behavior:
Often perches prominently on bushes, fences, or wires, scanning for prey. Known for impaling prey on thorns or barbed wire (“larder” behavior). Hunts by dropping onto prey from a perch. Solitary and territorial.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)